Bael (Grafted) Plant

Bael is one of the most important indigenous fruit trees of India. It had been known to Indians since prehistoric time and is sacred in Hinduism. This deciduous tree with trifoliate aromatic leaves (bilwa patra) is traditionally used in religious rituals and is a sacred offering to Lord Shiva, who is said to favour the leaves. Its fruits are also used in religious rituals in place of green coconuts. It is commonly planted in temple gardens and is a common sight across Salt Lake.

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SKU00240
 

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Bael is one of the most important indigenous fruit trees of India. It had been known to Indians since prehistoric time and is sacred in Hinduism. This deciduous tree with trifoliate aromatic leaves (bilwa patra) is traditionally used in religious rituals and is a sacred offering to Lord Shiva, who is said to favour the leaves. Its fruits are also used in religious rituals in place of green coconuts. It is commonly planted in temple gardens and is a common sight across Salt Lake.

Like the Orange and Lemon, Bael belongs to the Rutaceae family. Bael trees are medium to large in size, have many branches and are handsome. They reach up to a height of 10m or more. The mature Bael fruit has a smooth woody shell but varies in shape and size.

Flowers begin to bloom in late May and fruits form quickly. Fruits remain green until they ripen and then when they turn yellowish. They take about 11 months to ripen on the tree. The edible portion of Bael is fleshy and almost orange in colour with mucilage and a soft texture. The fibrous yellow pulp is aromatic, embedded in pulp seeds and enclosed in a sac of adhesive, transparent mucilage that solidifies on drying. The Bael fruit is nutritious and therapeutic.

Bael Planting & Care

Cultivation: Bael trees are generally cultivated as an isolated plant. Owing to its hardy nature, they have a wide adaptability to adverse soil and climate conditions. It requires a climate where the summer is hot and winter is mild and a well-drained sandy, loam soil is ideal.

Pits of 90cm x 90cm x 90cm size are to be dug and filled with a mixture of garden soil and about 25kg of farmyard manure, 1kg of Neem oil cake and 1kg of bone dust. Irrigate the pit to settle down the soil. seedlings are generally planted between February and March or July and August.

Propagation: Bael is usually propagated by seed. The seeds do not have dormancy and for this they are to be sown in June or July on a seed bed well-prepared with decomposed farmyard manure and sand. Seeds germinate within two to three weeks and the seedlings become ready for transplantation in two to three months. The seedlings that will be used as root-stock for budding will be ready after one year.

But seed-originated plants are not true-to-type and will vary largely. To overcome this drawback vegetative propagation like budding is adopted in case of the Bael. For this, buds should be selected from a mother plant that is a prolific bearer and produces good quality fruits. Patch budding is an ideal method and roughly has a 90 per cent success rate. Root cutting is also successful in case of Bael.

After-care: Young plants are trained to grow straight using the stalking method. To maintain a desirable shape, the tip of the main stem should be removed at a height of about 1m. Select only four to six well-shaped branches to develop. Dead, diseased, weak and crossing branches are pruned off.

Bael plants are most susceptible to water-logging and care should be taken to avoid such a condition. Suckers appearing from the roots should be removed periodically.

Apply 10kg of farmyard manure, 50gm nitrogen, 25g phosphorus and 50g of potassium per plant to a one-year-old plant. This dose should be increased every year as per the growth rate. Manure should be mixed well in surface soil and irrigated immediately.

Uses: Bael fruits are very well known for its medicinal properties. The fruits (ripe, mature green and sun-dried), leaves, bark and roots are used to treat an astonishing range of maladies.

Fruits become fully mature about eight months after fruit set. Ripe fruits are mostly used for beverage-making and for this they should be harvested when ripe. It has been told earlier that fruits take about 11 months after fruit set to ripen on the tree. Fruits should be harvested individually at the ripe stage from the tree along with a portion of fruit stalk. They should not be allowed to drop or fall on the ground as a minor crack in the shell can cause spoilage during their storage. Fruits are mostly packed in gunny bags and baskets for transportation and selling.

The ripe fruits are eaten fresh. A refreshing drink Bael pana is made by mixing the pulp with water, sugar and lime juice. The mixture is strained and served after adding ice.

Various parts of the Bael tree have proven tonic, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties and are used to treat snake bites and maladies of the digestive system, heart, eye, skin and lever. The fruit pulp is valued for its ability to halt diarrhoea and dysentery too.

Sir George Watt, a renowned botanist and erstwhile professor of Calcutta University, had written: “No drug has been longer and better-known nor more appreciated by the inhabitants of India than the Bael.”



SKU00240

Data sheet

Height
5 ft to 8 ft